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Fall Injuries in Older Adults Up to 20-30% of falls in older adults result in an injury requiring medical care Most fractures in Medicare population are due to falls Falls in older adults are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury Men have a higher rate of fatal falls (due to TBI) Women are more likely to have non-fatal falls CDC Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview (2009) www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html

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Summary Risk factors, best practices & effective interventions have been identified for community-dwelling older adults after many years of research Injury prevention is an important goal in populations at high risk for falls Comprehensive prevention plans/programs that include individual risk assessment & individualized multi-component/multi-faceted intervention approaches are the most effective in reducing falls & fall risks